2024-05-20 Ozone hole: Why Antarctic wildlife is being ‘sunburnt’ 臭氧层空洞：为什么南极动植物被 “晒伤” 了？

科学家们说，近年来，南极野生动植物暴露在紫外线辐射中的时间有所增加，原因是臭氧层空洞在南极地区上空的时间更长了。臭氧层是地球上层大气中的气体保护屏障。

The ozone layer is healing, but it’ll take until about the end of the century to restore completely. In Antarctica, the ozone layer is broken down by chemical reactions in very cold, high atmospheric clouds.

臭氧层正在 “愈合”，但大约要到本世纪末才能完全恢复到之前的水平。在南极地区上空非常寒冷的高空大气云层的作用下，臭氧层被消耗，导致 “破洞”。

That loss of protective gas and resulting hole used to peak in September or October when plants and animals are tucked under winter snow and marine animals are protected by sea ice. But it’s now lingering well into the Antarctic summer. 

保护气体的流失和由此产生的 “破洞” 曾在9月或10月期间最为严重，不过那时动植物被冬雪覆盖，海洋动物也有海冰遮盖受到保护。但现在，臭氧层出现最大面积空洞这一现象已经持续到了南极的夏季。

Researchers say that’s been driven in part by smoke from the Australian wildfires in 2019 and 2020, which were themselves fuelled by climate change.

研究人员们说，这在一定程度上是由 2019 年和 2020 年澳大利亚野火产生的烟雾造成的，而这两场野火本身就是气候变化的产物。

They found evidence of Antarctic plants putting more effort into synthesising protective sunscreen compounds and krill, marine crustaceans that are the foundation of the food chain in Antarctica, moving deeper into the ocean to avoid ultraviolet rays. While seals and penguins are covered by protective fur and feathers, the scientists say exposure to harmful rays could damage their eyesight.

他们发现有证据表明，南极植物正在把更多的能量用于合成起保护作用的防晒化合物，而磷虾，即南极洲食物链基层的海洋甲壳类动物，正在向海洋深处移动，以躲避紫外线照射。虽然海豹和企鹅的身上覆盖着起保护作用的皮毛和羽毛，但科学家们表示，阳光中的紫外线可能会损害它们的视力。

词汇表

peak 达到峰值，达到最高水平
tucked under 藏在…之下
lingering 迟迟不去的，停留
well into 直到…很久
synthesising 合成
krill 磷虾
crustaceans 甲壳动物
ultraviolet rays 紫外线

2. 阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

1. How is the ozone layer broken down in Antarctica?

2. True or False? The hole in the ozone layer is lasting longer than it used to.

3. What do scientists think is partly responsible for the lingering hole in the ozone layer?

4. What evidence is there that Antarctic wildlife is adapting to the change?  

3. 答案

1. How is the ozone layer broken down in Antarctica?

The ozone layer in Antarctica is broken down by chemical reactions occurring in very cold, high atmospheric clouds.

2. True or False? The hole in the ozone layer is lasting longer than it used to.

True. The hole in the ozone layer used to peak in September or October, but it’s now lingering well into the Antarctic summer.

3. What do scientists think is partly responsible for the lingering hole in the ozone layer?

Scientists believe that the lingering hole in the ozone layer has been driven by smoke from the Australian wildfires in 2019 and 2020.

4. What evidence is there that Antarctic wildlife is adapting to the change?  

Evidence that Antarctic wildlife is adapting to change includes Antarctic plants putting more effort into synthesising protective sunscreen compounds, and krill moving deeper into the ocean to avoid ultraviolet rays.